Guitar Worlds top 100 metal guitarists

[spawn]

This is a great list, the ordering seems a bit weird in places, and I dont know what the Tool guy is doing at number 9, but otherwise




1. Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
2. James Hetfield & Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
3. Angus Young & Malcom Young (AC/DC)
4. Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot)
5. Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
6. Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
7. "Dimebag" ("Diamond") Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan)
8. Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society)
9. Adam Jones (Tool)
10. Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)
11. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)
12. Jimi Hendrix (Jimi Hendrix Experience)
13. Glenn Tipton & Ken "K.K." Downing (Judas Priest)
14. Ace Frehley & Paul Stanley (Kiss)
15. Slash (Guns N' Roses)
16. Richie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow, Blackmore's Night)
17. Yngwie J. Malmsteen (Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force)
18. Joe Perry & Brad Whitford (Aerosmith)
19. Dave Mustaine & Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
20. Chuck Schuldiner (Death, Control Denied)
21. Brian May (Queen)
22. Michael Schenker (Scorpions, UFO, Michael Schenker Group)
23. Nigel Tufnel (Spinal Tap)
24. Jeff Beck (The Yardbirds, The Faces, Jeff Beck Group)
25. Tom Morello (RTage Against The Machine, Audioslave)
26. James Shaffer & Brian Welch (Korn)
27. John Petrucci (Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment)
28. Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
29. Vivian Campbell (Dio, Whitesnake, Def Leppard)
30. Daron Malakian (System Of A Down)
31. Scott Ian (Anthrax, Stormtroopers Of Death)
32. Tom G. Warrior (Hellhammer, Celtic Frost)
33. Chris DeGarmo & Michael Wilton (Queensryche)
34. CC Deville (Poison, Samantha 7)
35, Marten Hagström & Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah)
36. Alex Lifeson (Rush)
37. Paul Gilbert (Racer X, Mr. Big)
38. Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains, Jerry Cantrell)
39. Mantas (Venom)
40, Jason Becker (Cacaphony, David Lee Roth)
41. Phil Collen & Steve Clark (Def Leppard)
42. Mikael Akerfeldt & Peter Lindgren (Opeth)
43. "Fast" Eddie Clark (Motörhead)
44. Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme)
45. Warren DiMartini (Ratt)
46. Mick Mars (Mötely Crüe)
47. George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob)
48. Ted Nugent (Amboy Dukes, Ted Nugent)
49. Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne)
50. Rudolf Schenker & Uli Jon Roth (Scorpions)
51. Oystein "Euronymous" Aarseth (Meyhem)
52. Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy)
53. Steve Vai (Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, Steve Vai)
54. Reb Beach (Winger)
55. Trey Azagthoth (Morbid Angel)
56. John Sykes (Tygers Of Pan-Tang, Whitesnake, Blue Murder, Thin Lizzy)
57. Hank Shermann & Michael Denner (Mercyful Fate)
58. Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi)
59. Jon Donais & Matt Bachand (Shadows Fall)
60. Stephen Carpenter (Deftones)
61. Alex Skolnik & Eric Peterson (Testament)
62. Brian Tatler (Diamond Head)
63. John Christ (Danzig)
64. Scott "Wino" Weinrich (The Obsessed, St. Vitus, Spirit Caravan, Place Of Skulls)
65. Pepper Keenan & Woody Weatherman (Corrosion Of Conformity)
66. Tommy Victor (Prong)
67. Leslie West (Mountain)
68. Vernon Reid (Living Colour)
69. Glen Buxton & Michael Bruce (Alice Cooper)
70. Björn Gelotte & Jesper Stromblad (In Flames)
71. Jim Matheos (Fates Warning)
72. Gary Holt & Rick Hunolt (Exodus)
73. Donald Roeser aka Buck Dharma (Blue Öyster Cult)
74. Michael Amott (Carcass, Arch Enemy)
75. Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
76. André Olbrich (Blind Guardian, Demons & Wizards)
77. Joe Satriani
78. Frank Hannon & Tommy Skeoch (Tesla)
79. Ty Tabor (King's X)
80. Mark Morton & Will Adler (Lamb Of God)
81. Dino Cazares (Fear Factory)
82. Pete Townshend (The Who)
83. Jon Schaffer (Iced Earth, Demons & Wizards)
84. Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius)
85. Neil Young (CSN&Y, Neil Young)
86. Olve "Abbath Doom Occulta" Eikerno (Immortal)
87. Kai Hansen (Helloween, Gamma Ray)
88. Uffe Cederlund & Alex Hellid (Entombed)
89. Leigh Stephens (Blue Cheer)
90. Jim Martin (Faith No More)
91. Michael Romeo (Symphony X)
92. Bill Steer (Napalm Death, Carcass, Firebird)
93. Denis "Piggy" D'Amour (Voivod)
94. Tony Bourge (Budgie)
95. Sammy Hagar (Sammy Hagar [& The Waboritas], Van Halen)
96. Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom, Sinergy)
97. Akira Takasaki (Loudness)
98. Michael Angelo
99. John Kay & Michael Monarch (Steppenwolf)
100. Nick Bowcott (Grim Reaper)

 

[spawn]

Haha even Abbath made the list!

 

[Goreripper]

Tee hee. KK's name is Ken. Hee Hee.

Nigel Tufnel is not a real person.

 

[spawn]

I think Nigel would dispute that.

 

[Goreripper]

Perhaps, but I don't think Nigel Tufnel really qualifies on this list. That said, it's a good list. But why is Euronymous there? He could hardly even play the guitar?

 

[spawn]

Neither can Mick Mars, but he made it I think they take into account influence/songwriting as well rather than just technical ability. Mantas is crap as well, but writes awesome riffs and songs

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

That list is fucked.

Why is Nigel Tufnel there at all let alone ABOVE George Lynch and Warren DeMartini? And how are half those guitarists higher than Lynch & DeMartini?!? And how is Ace there and not Vinnie Vincent or Bruce Kulick? They kick Ace's ass! Not to mention that Kerry/Jeff do NOT deserve to be in the top 10, especially if guys like Jake E Lee, Marty Friedman, Jason Becker, George Lynch, Warren DeMartini, Vivian Campbell and Steve Vai are nowhere near the top 10 and Vinnie Vincent isn't even there!

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

Mick Mars is a good blues guitarist, he's just not a shredder. I don't like him though, his style isn't really my thing. But he played very well on the Feelgood album...

 

[spawn]

 

[Goreripper]

I think the order is fucked about, but certainly most of the guys who should be there, are.

 

[spawn]

Troops, Michael Angelo is better than 90 percent of the other guitarists on the list, but nobody listens to him because he cant write a song to save his life. Kerry and Jeff are two of the most influential guitarists in the history of heavy metal. Who do people in heavy metal bands look up to now? Ask them and ill bet you get 50 times as many Kerry/Jeff answers as you do George Lynch/Jake E. Lee etc.

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

My favourites:

George Lynch
Eddie Van Halen
Warren DeMartini
Randy Rhoads
Vinnie Vincent
Jake E. Lee
Michael Angelo
Vivian Campbell
Phil Collen
Al Pitrelli
Bruce Kulick
Vito Bratta
KK/Glenn (dunno who plays what haha but all Priest guitar stuff rocks)
Chris/Michael (see above but replace Priest with Queensryche haha)

 

[spawn]

There seems to be a lot of glam on that list for some reason...

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

Yeah but that is more because Kerry and Jeff are in an influencial band, its not so much a reflection of their guitar playing.

And I know we've had this argument before, but don't get songwriting mixed up with the writing of their guitar parts. Songwriting is about the hooks, lyrics and structures and stuff, and has nothing to do with guitar playing. How somebody writes their guitar parts is what makes a good guitarist.

 

[Goreripper]

That's true Spawn. I like this list much better than Rolling Stone's, but again I think they've erred on the side of "influence" rather than technical skill, which is why RS's list was so, well, RS! No one can deny that Tom Morello and Adam Jones have been influential in the last ten years, but are they better guitarists than Steve Vai? No. In fact, Jones isn't really much of a guitarist. Tool's music is based around Keenan's vocals and Carey's drums, not around riffs. And either I'm blind or Keith Richards isn't on the list. He's one of the most influential guitar players of all time.

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

Only 3 of the guitarists in my list are from glam bands.

Nitro, Vinnie Vincent Invasion and Ratt.

 

[spawn]

Yeah but that is more because Kerry and Jeff are in an influencial band, its not so much a reflection of their guitar playing.

And I know we've had this argument before, but don't get songwriting mixed up with the writing of their guitar parts. Songwriting is about the hooks, lyrics and structures and stuff, and has nothing to do with guitar playing. How somebody writes their guitar parts is what makes a good guitarist.

Guitar riffs? I believe they make up most Slayer songs, and most of them are great Jeff and Kerry write all of Slayers songs pretty much, and they are such an influential band because of their songs.

 

[spawn]

Kiss and White Lion are glam bands Troops! (Bruce and Vito, Vito was the guy in White Lion wasnt he?)

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

Oh and aobut Michael Angelo, I know Nitro can't write songs to save themselves, but that is no reflection on his guitar playing. The riffs in Nitro songs are fucking awesome, but good riffs don't mean good songwriting. So I agree, Michael can't write a song to save himself. But he writes great guitar parts. And as I said, its the writing of the guitar parts that make a good guitarist, not the writing of vocal lines, hooks, choruses, etc.

Agreed? Yep.

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

Yep ok in the case of Slayer the riffs are the major component of the songwriting, but in general I'm just saying don't get the two mixed up, like in the case of Michael Angelo. No he cant't write songs but its not his guitar playing that makes their songs suffer, it's the lack of hooks and melody which is Jim Gillette's fault coz he'd rather show off his falcetto than come up with a good vocal line. I still like them though haha.

I don't really think of White Lion as glam. They didn't sound anything like glam really, they were more in the melodic rock vein... and they didn't even look glam (except for big hair but that was common with all rock bands).

Yeah I spose Kiss were glam off and on but I guess I just don't really think of them like other ones, they're like a whole music scene on their own rather than being "one of the glam bands" kinda thing haha!